Kick-off: How can I make calls while I'm abroad?

June 21, 2010 - 11:19 AM

Author:

Mindel DeLaTorre

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:98:height=100,width=70]]

It's the first day of summer, and the official start to a busy travel season. Whether you are headed to the tropics to enjoy the beach, or halfway across the world on a business trip, you want to know how to stay in touch with people back home without breaking the bank. E-mail is a great way of doing this, but you still may need to speak with someone on the phone. The question is, what is the best and cheapest way to call the U.S. from a foreign country? To answer this question along with many more, the FCC is kicking off its "Wireless World Travel Week" today. There are many more variables with international calling than with domestic calling. You should be well informed before trying to make phone calls from a foreign country. Useful tips will be posted here throughout the week, focusing on a different topic each day. Here's the schedule for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Getting Ready for Your International TripWednesday: Calling Options from OverseasThursday: VoIP – Calling Over the InternetFriday: Back at Home – Checking Your Invoices

The goal of this initiative is to inform consumers about international calling to help them avoid unnecessary charges while abroad. We hope our tips are informative, helpful, and allow you to make the best decisions when calling from overseas.